Automatic emergency light



Aug. 2, 1949. POWELL 2,478,129

AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY LIGHT Filed Nov. 14, 1945v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 24 w; WW

1949; J. T. POWELL AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY LIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1945 w r m a J W amen Wow J T/ OWe/Z atented Aug. 2, 1 949 OFFICE 2,478,129 AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY LIGHT John Thomas Powell, Washington, D. 0. Application November 14, 1945, Serial No. 628,530

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a portable trouble light.

An object of this invention is to provide a trouble light which is designed for locating circuit breaks in outlet boxes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which maybe used as an emergency light which is normally cut off when the house current is on, but which will provide light automatically from an independent source when the house current is broken.

A further object of this invention is to provide an emergency light for theaters, public buildings, stores, ships or the like, which embodies a selfcontained electric source, and which includes means for normally cutting OK the current from the self-contained source when the house current is on, so that the emergency light will be normally cut oii, but will be automatically turned on when the house current is cut off so that exits, stairways or the like will be lighted.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a trouble light constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the supporting bracket carried by the housing,

Figure 3 is a perspective view partly broken away and in section showing the device in open position, and

Figure 4 is a schematic view of the electric circuits embodied in this device.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral Ill designates generally a housing embodying a rear wall l l, opposite side walls I! and I3 and upper and lower walls I 4 and IS. A closure, generally designated as [6, is hingedly connected to the side wall l2 and includes an outer plate I! formed with upper and lower flanges l8 and opposite end flanges l9. One of the flanges It has a hasp 2D pivotally secured thereto engaging a loop 2i, which is carried by the wall I3 so that the closure it may be locked in its closed position. The flanges l8 and H! are adapted to overlap the adjacent edges of the upper and lower and the opposite side walls of the housing Ill. A handle or bail 22 is hingedly carried by the top wall M.

The housing I is adapted to be removably secured to a pair of headed supporting members, such as screws or the like, by means of a bracket 23. The bracket 23 includes a plate 24 which is fixed, as by welding or the like, to the rear wall ii of the housing and a right angularly disposed flange 25 extends from the plate 24. An upstanding plate at extends from the outer edge of the flange 25 and is formed with a pair of button-hole slots 12?. The front wall l! of the closure it is formed with a circular Opening 28 and a lens 23 is supported in spaced relation with respect to the wall ll by means of a supporting bevel A lamp socket supporting bar 3i of substantially U-shape is struck rearwardly from the wall it, extending across the opening 28 for supporting a light bulb centrally with respect to the lens 29. One side of the light bulb socket is grounded to the closure is whereas the center contact 32 of the light bulb is adapted to engage a spring contact member 33 which is secured to an insulating plate fixed to the bight 35 of the U-shaped member 3 l. The contact 33 has extending therefrom a resilient contact arm 35, the purpose for which will be hereinafter described. A plurality of batteries 3? are disposed in the housing it being removably mounted between resilient contact plates as and 39 and tn and Al.

The contact plates 38 and 39 are secured to an insulated plate 42 and the contact plates all and 4H are also secured to either plate 42 or a similar insulating plate. An insulating plate i211 is also interposed between wall I2 and contacts 39 and 4|. With an arrangement of this kind the contact plate 33 is relatively narrow and the same is true of plate ill, whereas plates 39 and lil are relatively wide so that they will extend between two of the batteries. In this manner the batteries 31 can readily be arranged in series and the provision of the insulation plates 32 and 42a will insulate the electrical parts from the housing. The batteries 31 are adapted to be maintained between the contact plates by means of a U- shaped holding member 43 which is secured to and extends inwardly of the closure It for engagement with the batteries 31 when the closure is in closed position. The contact arm 36 is adapted to engage the contact plate 38 when the closure i6 is closed thereby closing one side of the electric circuit to the light bulb. A switch 44 is carried by the top wall It of the housing, one side of the switch 44 being connected by means of a wire 45 to contact plate E8. The other side of the switch is connected by means of a wire 46 to an armature 41, which is normally in engagement with a stationary contact 48.

The contact 48 is connected by means of a wire 49 to the ground. The armature 48 is correlated with a relay 50 which has wires 5| and 52 connected to a plug connector 53 for placing the relay 50 in circuit with house current or the like. The relay 50 is adapted to be normally energized when the house current is on so that the armature 4! will be drawn thereto and contact 54' carried by the armature will be disengaged from stationary contact 48. In this manner the electric circuit to the light bulb 55 will be broken in the event the switch 44 is closed. If the electric circuit with which the relay 50 .is connected is broken, the armature 41 will be drawn by its spring 56 to a circuit closing position whereupon the light bulb 55 will become lighted. Th light bulb 55 being interposed in an independent electric circuit will remain lighted. as long as switch 44 is closed and as long as the electric circuit to the relay 5a! is broken.

This device may be used for locating broken electric circuits in a building or other location and is designed primarily for mounting in a position where it will light sta'invays, halls, or other passages in the event :the normal electric current used in the building, ship or the like is broken. In this manner an emergency light will be provided which maybe of lessintens'ity than the :nor-

mal light provided at the particular location but will be sufficient to provide for the lighting of the particular area. Where the device is located in a theater or the like it may be placed adjacent the stairways so as to light up the stairways and other exits when the house current has been broken. Inasmuch as the electric circuit to the light bulb is normally "broken when the housecurrent is normal there will not 'be any drain onthe batteries 31 with switch 44 in circuit closing position.

The exact configuration illustrated 'is regarded as the optimum,'but some of the desirable resu'lts inherent in this disclosure may be obtained by various slight modifications including some departure fromthe exact configuration shown, and it is therefore requested that the scope of the invention should be regarded as limited only by the terms of the claim.

What I claim is:

An emergency light comprising a housing, a

'4 hinged closure carried by said housing, a plurality of batteries in said housing, resilient contacts yieldably holding said batteries in said housing, a U-shaped battery holdin bar carried by said closure and ,engageable with said batteries when said closure is in closed position, a U-shaped socket support carried by said closure, a socket carried by said U-shaped support, a light bulb carried by said socket having one side thereof grounded to said closure, a conductor connecting one side of said batteries with said housing, a manual switch interposed in said conductor, a resilient contact carried by said U-shaped support and insulated therefrom, said latter contact having a free end adapted to engage one of said first named contacts when said closure is closed, a second switch spring biased to a circuit closing position, electromagnetic means connected to said second :switch and adapted upon energization thereof to move said second switch to circuit breaking position, and :means connecting said electromagnetic means to a current source remote :from said housing.

JOHN THOMAS POWELL.

REFERENCES :CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STAT-IE8 PATENTS Number Name 'Date 1,211,121 Everett Jan. 2.191? 1,365,636 'Boltshauser Jan. 11, .1921 1,511,097 Althofi et a1. Oct. '7, 1924 713 2,097,237 I-Iulst g Oct. '26, 1937 2,213,584 'Hulst Sept. 3, 1940 2,369,288 'Em'bury Feb. 13 1945 FQREIGN :RATENT S 0 Number lountry Date 379,32? Italy Mar. 22 1940 

